DeBerry Special Needs Facility Hosts Graduation

NASHVILLE – Earlier this week, the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) held a Winter Commencement Ceremony for 23 inmates at the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility (DSNF) in Nashville, Tennessee.  For six students this graduation celebrated obtaining their HiSet Diploma.  (The HiSet is a high school equivalency credential similar to the GED.)  The other 17 students were recognized for completion of the vocational program Career Management for Success.

During the graduation; Donald Hill, an inmate graduate, shared how this class gave him hope.  Hill stated “There’s no reason for a guy to get out of here and take this class and not be able to get some kind of help… You’ve got a chance at employment and it even teaches you how to go about getting more schooling.  It gives you the skill sets to do a lot of different things. And that’s hope.”  That sentiment was echoed by Warden James M. Holloway who stated “Education has a lasting positive impact on the lives of these men.  While all of our programming is designed to change criminal behavior, this diploma is something that they can take out the door to help them find a career and really start on the right path.”

More than 90% of incarcerated offenders will return to the community and educational programming is key to TDOC’s non-negotiable mission of enhancing public safety.